Announcing our Summer KAL.

That's right, a knit-along! We've chosen Shallows , a lovely cowl or scarf, designed by Bonnie Sennott, also known as Blue Peninsula.

The pattern is available for in-store purchase (or on Ravelry) and calls for 350 yards of a light fingering weight yarn on size 4 needles. The sample shown was knit with Swans Island Organic Merino/Alpaca and it's stunning. Of course there are loads of other options and we especially like blends that include silk, bamboo and/or alpaca to ensure drape. The Fibre Company's Canopy Fingering (you'd need two skeins) and Shibui's Staccato (also two skeins) would be perfect. The Canopy Fingering is a blend of merino, alpaca and bamboo and Staccato is a blend of merino and silk.

I'm going to play around a bit more with mine. That's one of the great thing about knitting cowls and scarves - they don't have to fit!

I've chosen Shibui's Cima and Silk Cloud, which mixes to a sport weight (a little heavier than what the pattern suggests). I'm thinking I'll use size 6 needles so it will drape. I have two skeins of each which gives me just over 650 yards; that would be more than enough to knit the pattern as written. I'll probably add stitches to get more width and I'll see how it goes to determine if I add rows for more length. Stay tuned...

The KAL officially kicks off this Friday, July 25. We'll be casting on at the shop that afternoon. If you can't be there in person, we hope you'll join us virtually. You can share questions, comments, and - of course! - project photos in our Ravelry group or on Facebook.

Please join us!

A Tale of Two Projects.

I know it's been ages since I've shared anything here and I apologize. Hoping you'll forgive me when you see what I have to share today!

First up, perhaps the cutest quickest baby project ever.

This is the Winter-baby kit with hat and mittens (a free pattern on Ravelry),

you can see my project and even more details on Ravelry, here

specifically the newborn size, knit with one skein of the Swans Island Washable DK (not even the whole skein) in the Pewter color way, a set of size 4 dpn's and about six hours this past weekend. The pattern is very clear and I followed it as written with just a few exceptions (all detailed on my project page).  I was especially impressed with the earflaps - they're quite clever in that you end up with no seaming, no picking up stitches and an earflap that starts underneath the ribbing to keep baby's ears super-toasty -

and the brioche stitch on the mitts. Of course newborn mitts are likely to be cute no matter what, but still, these are special!

I've got a few babies on the horizon this year and I'm delighted to have a pattern that knits up so well (so fast). Note that this set is for a baby due in February, so I'm anticipating he'll be able to wear it this winter. I also have a few summer/early fall babies and I plan to knit the 3-6 month size for them.

….and now, the pile of yarn I bought yesterday.

This is 12 skeins of Shibui's Heichi in the Sidewalk color way, destined to become Beaubourg.

© Fairmount Fibers/Julie Hoover

I have had my eye on this pattern since it was released (a year and a half ago!) and am excited to finally knit it. I chose the Heichi for two main reasons: first, I love it at the pattern-suggested gauge of 4 stitches to the inch; and second, because silk is a year-round fiber for our climate and I think this design could be worn year-round (or at least for ten months of the year).

I'm planning to swatch - yes, even though I've knit this yarn at the correct gauge three times before, it's been a while and I want to double-check - and cast-on later this week. Based on what I've heard around the shop, I think a few of y'all are interested in the pattern as well, so I'm going to share my progress here on the blog. Stay tuned and please - if you have any questions - ask them in the comments. And definitely, if you'd like to join me and knit-along, I'd welcome the company!

Our Next KAL | 100 Diamonds.

If you follow me on Instagram, I hope you weren't too unhappy with me when I posted this teaser photo yesterday afternoon.

In my defense, I figured a pile of pretty yarn would brighten anyone's day! I had a wonderful time pulling the yarns and posing the skeins just so. (and of course that whole effort resulted in a few balls disappearing from my pile - and the shelves - the Findley is really popular!) I understand; it's the yarn I've chosen myself to knit 100 Diamonds. Don't miss this - yes, our next KAL is 100 Diamonds and we're going to cast on November 1 (which sounds like it should be months away, but is really just two weeks from tomorrow - yikes!)

This pattern came across my radar a few months back when the designer posted photos of a slightly modified version of the shawl.

photo copyright knittimo on Ravelry

I loved that it could be modified...and that the resulting pieces could look so different from the original...and that every one of them is gorgeous! But I hadn't thought about it for a knit-along until Saturday, when I awoke to a text from Becca suggesting it. Really, it's perfect for a KAL - the pattern isn't all that complicated for anyone who's worked a lace chart, it's customizable (I love "knit your own adventure" patterns for knit-alongs), and it's a fair amount of knitting which always goes better with company, right?! And for those of us who have knit innumerable a few lace shawls, this one uses a different construction - it starts at the bottom point and knits up.

The designer hosted a KAL on Ravelry last month so we have a few dozen FOs (and a good bit of experience) to help us . Based on the projects/photos I've seen, I am loving the design in the pattern-suggested laceweight and (despite my personal yarn choice - driven by two past frogged KALs - which I am only admitting to y'all) a winter neutral. With Theresa's help, we've gathered eight yarn suggestions*.

Please note that the pattern suggests 630 yards of a laceweight yarn at a blocked gauge of 18 st/4 inches to create a finished shawl 68" wide by 34" deep.

Shibui Silk Cloud (pattern suggestion) :: 60% mohair/40% silk; 330 yds/25 g; suggest 2 skeins

Shibui Cima :: 70% alpaca/30% silk; 328 yds/50 g; suggest 2 skeins

Shibui Pebble :: 48% recycled silk/36% merino/16% cashmere; 224 yds/25 g; suggest 3 skeins

Juniper Moon Farm Findley :: 50% silk/50% merino; 798 yds/100 gr; suggest 1 skein

Fibre Co Meadow :: 40% merino/25% baby llama/20% silk/15% linen; 545 yds/100 g; suggest 1 skein (and modifying to make slightly smaller - like the designer modifications I linked above)
Swans Island Laceweight :: 50% merino/50% tussah silk; 530 yds/50 g; suggest 1-2 skeins (1 skein would mean modifications; 2 skeins would allow you to follow the pattern as written)

Habu Tsumugi Silk :: 100% silk; 450 yd/48g; suggest 2 cones

Malabrigo Silkpaca :: 70% alpaca/30% silk; 420 yds/50 g; suggest 2 skeins

*of course we have more laceweight yarns in the shop; we also have plenty of other lovely yarns that would make gorgeous shawls - these are just the eight we pulled to highlight here.

The pattern also suggests beads, but I'm not planning to use them. Although if I were knitting this with the suggested Silk Cloud...I would definitely consider it, if only to add a bit of weight to keep the shawl in place. We do have beads at the shop and they are not hard to incorporate.

I emailed Theresa on Tuesday that the only bad news I'd encountered about the project was size 3 needles. I knew the pattern suggested them, but I was hoping, especially after Boxy, we'd have a project on at least size 6s or 7s, alas no. I think the pattern suggested size 3 needle works best. I tried 4s and 3s and really like the fabric better on the 3s:

Of course if you use a thinner/thicker yarn or you're a looser/tighter knitter, you might need to go down (!!) or up. The best way to tell is to swatch! really!! these two swatches took me about an hour - and I'm pretty sure the finished shawl is going to be worth that little investment up front. (please note I did not wet-block these swatches - I merely pinned them like I plan to pin my wet-blocked finished piece)

The pattern is available online only. The instructions are clear and easy-to-follow. I am planning to knit my piece as written, without beads. If I had less yarn OR if I were using a heavier weight, I would work fewer repeats of chart B (and maybe of chart D) to make fewer diamonds. The cool thing about the construction is that we can easily get an idea how big the finished piece will be while it's still on the needles. That can all come later - for now, all you need to think about is your yarn choice, your needle (work a swatch with chart A - it's quick and easy!) and the cast-on date: November 1.

If you have any questions/comments/etc, please leave a comment here or in our Ravelry forum.

ready to go! (my yarn is Findley Dappled in the Woodland colorway and those are size 3 needles :-)

I do hope you'll join us!

An Eye Candy Tour.

Yes, consider yourself warned. This post is full of pretty photos guaranteed to tempt and hopefully to inspire. But no worries, I promise this is a calorie-free treat!

First, on the wall behind the yellow table, our just-arrived shipment of Treenway Silks Kiku, a silk laceweight in a generous 100 gram/1,100 yard put-up. We have two color collections of seven colors each, plus two neutrals. The great thing about the color collections is mixing and matching for multi-color projects like Color Affection . The 100 gram skein has enough yards to be a Main, Contrast 1 and Contrast 2 color.  All you need to do is find two friends to join you; everyone chooses a different color and you'll end up with three different shawls. Of course the company and encouragement of friends will be helpful for the knitting, too; the laceweight version of the pattern is a lot of stitches!

collection one is on the left and collection two is on the right

these are the two neutrals; that cream would make a lovely wedding shawl or even a veil

Next on our tour is the back wall, now stocked with Shibui, Swan's Island and Manos. We've added new yarns across all three brands and have lots of different weights and fiber combinations.

And now the side wall behind the sales counter. No longer the "Cascade Wall", it's now full of Malabrigo! I am so happy we have a place to show these yarns hanging.

Because really, you need to see them displayed like this to really see them!

And yes, we have a full shipment of Rasta ready to be knit into cowls for holiday gifts.

The final stop on the tour is the area formerly known as the Library. There are a few patterns left, but mostly it's now full of Habu and Shibui fingering, with sample knits to show off the different fibers. 

Funny, as I look over this post, I realize I should've also thought to take a photo of the interior... no worries, it's still chock full of yarn, too!

Hope everyone gets to visit us soon so you can see it all in person. Happy Knitting!

Pendulum.

No, I haven't finished the Color Affection shawl I'm knitting for our Redux KAL. But that never stops a knitter from planning the next project and it almost never stops a knitter from casting on a next project. #amIright?!

pattern pictured with a combo of Shibui Staccato

And that brings me to the next project we're planning to cast on. It's Pendulum, designed by Amy Wright. Because we are loving stripes and fingering weight scarf-like shawls for spring and summer. This piece is knit from the top-down (meaning you start with just a few stitches at the top edge and increase toward the bottom edge) in garter stitch and the stripes are shaped with short rows so the main color stripes are "fat" at one end and the contrast color stripes are "fat" at the other end.

The pattern calls for approximately 340 yards of the main color and 230 yards of the contrast, knit on a size 6 needle (swatching isn't critical, but a looser gauge will use more yarn, and a tighter gauge will result in a smaller piece - you decide how much risk you're willing to take!). We had a quick run on the pattern a few weeks ago, but they are back in stock and of course we have plenty of options for the yarn. Here are a few of my favorites:

First, Shibui Staccato - a blend of superwash merino and silk. At 191 yards per skein, you'll need two of each color.

yes that's black, but doesn't it POP the light pink?... and garter stitch wouldn't be too hard to see.

Then Rowan Panama - a blend of viscose, linen and cotton, that you can wash (on delicate) and dry (low heat until it's just damp, then dried flat) - this is one of my favorite spring/summer yarns. Rowan has added new colors this season and we have a great selection. I'm loving the neutrals...but that blue would be stunning with either one, too.

And if you think you might want to make two - how about the lovely Swan's Island Fingering. It's 100% organic merino and the colors are gorgeous. Each skein has 525 yards, so you'll have a good bit of yarn left over...but if you had a third skein, you could easily make a second shawl.

Other options not pictured include Spud&Chloe Fine, a superwash wool/silk blend that gives 248 hards per skein. If you're close on gauge, you should be able to get by with only one skein of the contrast color, but you'll still need two of the main color. And Canopy Fingering, a blend of alpaca, wool and bamboo that comes in 200 yard skeins.

We are going to cast on next Friday, April 5 at 2pm. I'm still reviewing the projects in Ravelry for helpful tips; I'll be back next week with suggested modifications and a quick tutorial on short rows in garter stitch (I promise - they're really easy!) If you have any other questions about the project or the Knit Along, please leave a comment here or on our Ravelry forum.

Measure for Measure.

Measure for Measure is the lovely wrap that's been displayed on our back table for the past few months. With the Ravellenic Games behind us, and before we dive headfirst into holiday gift knitting, we're going to tackle this as a knit-along.

we gave the shawl a taste of sunshine for this photo!

a close-up of the jul shawl pin you might need want to close your piece

I've used the word tackle on purpose. The front of the pattern says "not for the faint of heart, this scarf has very fine linen stitch borders and a main field of double brioche stitch. This is not a quick and mindless knit." So true! Not only is the stitch itself a challenge, the wrap takes 1,500 yards of yarn (mostly knit on a size 4 needle)...yep, that's a lot of knitting!

a close-up of the brioche - truly stunning!

Which means we're going to treat this "knit-along" a bit differently. Yes, we're still going to gather on Friday afternoons for fun and knitting and encouragement, and we're still going to share tips & lessons learned here and on Ravelry. But we're not planning to actually knit this project on Friday afternoons. If you've come for knitting on a Friday, you know you need a (somewhat?!) mindless project...or you end up ripping more than you knit! 

Beginning this Friday (and likely continuing through September), we're going to gather for knitting our (somewhat :-) mindless projects and show-and-tell for everyone's Measure for Measure. Please do bring your project to show off your progress, share lessons learned and ask questions (and get them answered).

If you're on the fence about joining in, maybe it will help to see a few colors of the suggested Swan's Island Fingering. Note that it takes three skeins. This yarn is lovely to knit with and it works up beautifully (my recently completed Panoramic Stole is knit in the Oatmeal colorway, same as our shop sample, and same as the photo on the cover of the pattern).

a sampling of colors; we have many more!

I happened to have 1,500 yards of Findlay Dappled (in the Woodland colorway), the Juniper Moon Farm merino/silk laceweight. I've always wanted a lightweight silk scarf so I'm going to use it. I do suggest going down to a size 6 needle for the beginning and ending rows of Linen Stitch; you'll probably need to work more rows, too (I worked 16 instead of the 9 the pattern stated). I'm using size 4 needles for the Double Brioche section (same as the pattern states). And because I wanted more of a scarf than a wrap, I cast on 87 stitches so I can make it longer.

progress-to-date...

So far so good!  Hope you'll join in, too. The more of us that knit this, the more fun we'll have to share!